William Penn Returns from Break, Takes Victory Over Judson

William Penn University Athletics

by Wade Steinlage

Elgin, Ill.–The #20 ranked William Penn women’s basketball team returned from a 17-day hiatus to take on Judson in their first of two games in the Judson Christmas Classic on Friday.

The Statesmen (11-1, 7-1 Heart) led Judson (5-8, 3-4 CCAC) for a majority of the game, only relinquishing the lead one time when the Eagles had things all knotted up at 2-2 in the early going and eventually took the matchup 64-54. The home team made things interesting in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to as little as eight but fortunately the navy and gold was able to hold on.

WPU outshot Judson 37%-35% which includes a 28% clip from beyond the arc. The defense was also active for the visitors forcing the Eagles to commit 21 turnovers. Brenda Pennington (Jr., Hammond, Ind., Psychology) recorded a team-high three steals.

Three Statesmen reached double-digits in the scoring category led by a monster outing from Vashti Nwagbaraocha (Sr., Milwaukee, Wis., Exercise Science) who recorded her fifth double-double of the campaign, posting 23 points and 12 rebounds while adding four blocks. Pennington helped out with 15 points and a team-high 7 assists while Kate Ylitalo (Jr., Maple Plain, Minn., Biology) rounded out the trio with 10 points on the night.

Next Up: William Penn will conclude its trip to the Judson Christmas Classic on Saturday, December 29, against Cardinal Stritch beginning at 1 pm.